E-Paper
John Phelan exit row: Why Hung Cao once said ‘we are losing our country’; Acting Navy Secretary's remark in focus
A sudden leadership change at the Pentagon has put Hung Cao into the spotlight after the abrupt exit of Navy Secretary John Phelan
A sudden leadership change at the Pentagon has put Hung Cao into the spotlight after the abrupt exit of Navy Secretary John Phelan. Cao is now serving as acting Navy Secretary. The 54-year-old's previous remarks have surfaced - when he said ‘We are losing our country’.
Hung Cao’s remarks resurface
Cao, a 25-year Navy veteran, previously made headlines during his 2024 Senate campaign in Virginia, where he challenged Tim Kaine. In a campaign video, he drew parallels between Cold War-era Vietnam and Joe Biden's administration.
“We are losing our country,” Cao said. “You know it. But you also know that you can’t say it. We’re forced to say that wrong is right. We’re forced to lie.”
During a debate, he also criticized diversity efforts within the military, stating: “When you're using a drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that's not the people we want. What we need is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them and ask for seconds. Those are the young men and women that are going to win wars.”
On foreign policy, Cao added: “My heart goes out to the Ukrainian people. ... But right now we're borrowing $55 billion from China to pay for the war in Ukraine. Not only that, we're depleting our national strategic reserves.”
Phelan’s abrupt departure
The Pentagon confirmed Wednesday that Phelan is “departing the administration, effective immediately,” according to spokesperson Sean Parnell. No official reason was provided.
His exit marks the first departure of a military service chief during President Donald Trump’s second term, though it comes amid a broader pattern of leadership upheaval within the Defense Department.
Part of wider Pentagon shake-up
In recent months, Pete Hegseth has overseen multiple high-profile dismissals, including Army chief Randy George, along with several other senior generals and admirals. Earlier removals also included figures like Lisa Franchetti and Charles Q. Brown Jr.
Phelan’s exit came as a surprise - just a day earlier, he had addressed Navy personnel and industry leaders at a major Washington conference and held meetings on shipbuilding and budget priorities.
A major donor to Trump’s campaign,Phelan had no prior military or senior defense leadership experience before his nomination in late 2024. He founded Rugger Management LLC and previously held an advisory role with Spirit of America, which supports defense initiatives related to Ukraine and Taiwan.
Who is Hung Cao?
Cao’s background includes fleeing Vietnam as a child in the 1970s before building a military career that included service with special operations forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia. He later studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, and has been an outspoken voice on military policy issues.
